Clearance regulator



June 11, 1935. c. E. WYRICK 2,004,264

. CLEARANCE REGULATOR Original Filed Nov. 18, 1929 Fig.6

mr I

- ATTORNEY without undue pressure between parts.

Patented June 11, 1935 UNITED STATES CLEARANCE REGULATOR Clayton E. Wyrick, Wyandotte, Mien, assignor to Wyrick Engineering Company, Detroit, Mich,

a corporation of Michigan Original application November 18, .1929, Serial No. 498,001. Patent No. 1,966,780; dated July 17, 1934. Divided'and this application April 18, 1934, Serial No. 721,239

8 Claims. (o1; zap-104) 1 This invention relates to devices for taking up clearances and is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 408,091 filed November 18, 1929 patented July 17, 1934 as Patent #l,966,780.

An object of the inventionis to provide a highly simplified unitary device for installation between two parts, subject to a more or less gradual sep: aration due to wear or some other factor, said device comprising a pair of complementary members having engaging cam faces, and a spring connecting said members and urging them relatively along said faces, so as to expand said device and prevent play arising between said parts.

Another object is to give the cam faces of such a device the form of inclined surfaces, and to sub ject them to a resilient element urging them in opposite direction to increase their joint thickness as rapidly as permitted by separation of the parts spaced by said device.

A further objectis to so combine said resilient member and inclined complementary surfaces as to impose onthe latter a force tending to-separate them as well as tending to increase the overall thickness thereof by relative sliding motion thereof. I

Still another object is to provide an automatic compensator including inclined surfaces and a resilient means which will cause said surfaces to separate in'responseto wear and thereafter, as;

the separation continues, which will cause relative sliding of the surfaces with respect to each other. There is thus a creeping or stepping of the inclined surfaces as opposed to simply a sliding which will result in the taking up of clearance This is of signal importance in many instances as where the compensator is employed as a packing means for crated articles intended for shipment. I 1

Other objects and advantages either directl described or indirectly implied will become hereinafter more fully apparent as reference is had to the accompanying drawing wherein my invention is illustrated by way of explanation and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved compensator or wedge lock, partially broken away for illustration,

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the device of Figure 1 taken midway between the ends thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partiallybroken away, of a modified form of my improved compensator,

Figure 4 is an end elevationof the compensator shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is another modification of a compensator similar to those of Figures 1 and 3 and simi larly illustrated, and Figure 6 is a showing of an article of-irregular shape held in place in a packing crate with myimproved compensators.

' More particularly, I and 2 indicate blocks of steel, wood or any suitable material. Each block has an inclined surface or face 3 for sliding engagement with thecorresponding face of the other block. The top of the block I and the bot tom of theblock 2 are parallel. These blocks may be of exactly the same size or they may be of different size as regards height. As shown in Figure 1* an additional piece '4 may be secured to one block to increase the overall height. A groove Eisformed in theinclined-.-surfaces 3 of each block I and 2, the'grooves corresponding and having their respective bases parallel with the inclined surfaces. A coil spring 6 resides in the two grooves 5, having one end 1 thereof anchored in one block and the other end 8 anchored in the opposite end of the other black. Thus when the compensator is installed between two parts 9 subject through wear and other causes to a more or less gradual separation, the blocks I and 2 will mutually ride upon the inclined or cammed faces 3 responsive to the spring 6 to increase the joint thickness of said blocks in proportion as such separation occurs, eliminating resultant play or lost motion. 7

Preferably, thecoils ofthe spring 6 tend to assume the approximately spiral form shown in Figure 1 but are distorted byconfinement in grooves 4 to a much more acute inclination to the longitudinal aXis of the spring. Consequently, said coils exercise a direct spreading force upon the blocks I and 2 in addition to the longitudinal force exercised by said spring as a whole.

Preferably, the coils of said spring have the oblong form best appearing in Figure 2, to better adapt them to hold the two cammed members in proper complementary relation and to vary their inclination to the spring axis. It will also be noted that the spring 5 guides the blocks with respect to eachbther and prevents lateral displacement of the blocks with respect to each other.

In Figures 3 and 4 the showing is similar to that of Figures 1 and 2 except that the spring 6a is. of such size'that its coils are free to assume their natural spiral shape. This type will give simple sliding movement of the blocks Ia and 2a without the tendency to separate.

In Figure 5 the blocks lb and. I0 are provided with stepped surfaces 30. This form is suitable for certain uses. When the spring shown in Figure 1 is employed the operation is improved.

In Figure 6 is a packing crate 9 shown with an irregularly shaped or imperfectly fitting article If! placed therein. A plurality of compensators I, 2 are placed at various points around the article lil as indicated. A suitable number of spacer blocks 4 are added where needed. These compensators willitake up all clearance and hold the article tightly but without building up excess pressures such as are liable to damage the article or break the sides of the crate;

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I desire to be extended protection within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of, the character described, two

blocks having opposed cam faces adapting the blocks to be varied in joint thickness by a travel along i said faces, and having communicating grooves each of substantially constant depth in said faces, and a spring jointly recessed in said grooves connecting said blocks and urging, them in a thickness-increasing travel along said cam faces, and forming a guide for the blocks in such travel.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of adjacent blocks having opposed inclined faces, said faces each having channels therein with the bottoms of the channel parallel to said opposed faces, and a spiral spring in said channels having one end thereof anchored in the end of one block and its other end anchored to the opposite end-0f the other block, said spring being tensioned to urge said blocks in a thickness increasing travel along said faces and forming a guide for said blocks in such travel along its entire length.

3. In a'device of the character described, the combination with two blocks having interengageable cam faces and movable relatively along said faces to increase the jointthickness of said blocks, of a spring disposed between said blocks and connected at its opposite ends to each thereof,-said spring being tensioned to urge a thickness-increasing travel" of said blocks, the convolutions of said spring being distorted at an in- 1 clination to the spring axis such as to act sepacombination with two blocks having engageable inclined faces and removable relatively along said faces to increase the joint thickness thereof, of a spring disposed between said blocks and connected at opposite ends to each thereof, said spring being tensioned to urge a thickness increasing travel of said blocks, the convolutions of said spring being of oval shape and distorted at an inclination to the spring axis such as to act separatively upon the blocks.

5. A compensator for wear and lost motion comprising a pair of blocks having adjacent in clined planar surfaces, and a resilient element co-acting with said members urging them directly apart and also urging them relativelyalong said faces in a direction to increase their joint thickness.

6. A compensator for wear and lost motion comprising a pair of blocks having adjacent inclined surfaces, said surfaces having corresponding grooves forming a closed channel, a resilient element in said channel co-acting with said members urging them directly apart and also urging them relatively along said surfaces in a direction to increase their joint thickness.

'7. A compensator for wear and lost motion comprising a pair of. blocks with their outer surfaces parallel and their inner opposed surfaces in inclined planes, said opposed surfaces each having grooves formed therein with the bases of said grooves parallel to said planes, and a spiral spring residing jointly in said grooves as a guide forsaid blocks during relative travel thereof, said spring having its coils distorted to urge said blocks directly apart and relatively along said faces in a direction to increase the joint thickness thereof.

8. A compensator for wear and lost motion comprising a pair of blocksvrith their outer surfaces parallel and their inner surfaces in inclined planes, said opposed surfaces each having grooves formed therein with the bases of said grooves substantially parallel to said planes, and a spiral spring residing jointly in said grooves as a guide for said blocks during relative travel thereof, said spring having its coils of oval shape and distorted with respect to its axis by the walls of said grooves to urge said blocks bodily apart and relatively along said faces in a direction to increase the joint thickness thereof.

CLAYTON E. WYRICK. 

